Five years on from the Lahore bombing 

On 27 March 2016, Easter Sunday, a suicide bomb attack targeting the Christian community in Pakistan killed over 72 people and injured around 300.


The devastating attack took place in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park in Lahore, where families from the Christian community were celebrating the Easter holiday. One bomb was detonated near the entrance to the park close to the children’s swing area, killing many women and children. 

Five years on from this tragedy, the survivors are still waiting for justice. Yet many of them have amazing testimonies of healing and provision. 

We spoke to some of those affected to see how their lives were changed that day.

Mussarat Tariq Gill

‘We were comforted by the fact that the Church was with us, God and the prayers of so many people were with us.’

Mussarat, 65, is from Bahar Colony, Kot Lakhpat, Lahore. The bombing took place just ten minutes after she’d arrived at the park with her family, and she sustained a fracture to her hand and other injuries which made it hard for her to walk.

 

Qaiser Maqsood

‘They had informed my family that I am badly injured and would not survive, but God gave me a new life.’

Qaiser, 31, also from Bahar Colony, suffered severe head injuries in the attack, and struggled to access adequate medical care in the months that followed. As a result, he suffers from short-term memory loss to this day.

 

Abraham Ishaq

‘My belief in God was strong from before but after this incident occurred with me, I got stronger in my faith.’

Abraham is 21 and lives in Gulberg III, Lahore. The force of the blast threw him into the air, and the injuries he suffered to his stomach, back and legs have severely affected his daily life.

However, he has a wonderful testimony of how the whole experience has strengthened his faith and increased his trust in God.


Sara Tariq Gill

‘After the blast when I was on the ventilator, many priests and bishops came and prayed for me. I am hopeful that even now people around the world continue to pray for us.’

Sara, 23, also lives in Bahar Colony, and suffered severe head injuries which resulted in her being paralysed. In a wonderful answer to prayer, she was completely healed from the paralysis. She was able to complete her studies and has qualified as a Medical Laboratory Technician.

 

Michelle Chaudhry

‘And five years on, the pain still lingers. Families have moved on, but the pain lingers on, because souls were scarred that day in Lahore.’

Michelle Chaudhry is one of our key partners in Pakistan. She was involved in helping the families who were affected by the bombing, and continues to call for justice for the victims of the attack, for which no one has been held accountable.


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